Premier declares Manchester City guilty in historic financial scandal
In a Premier League press room, chief executive Richard Masters announced that an independent commission had found Manchester City guilty of all accusations relating to serious financial breaches over nine seasons, and that the club has until October 2 to lodge an appeal.
Verdict details
The commission, appointed by the Premier League, found that between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons Manchester City arranged fictitious contracts with several commercial partners and submitted false accounts, artificially inflating revenue and reducing costs by more than £900 million. Moreover, the club significantly breached the spending limits of both the Premier League and UEFA.
During the investigation, Manchester City failed to meet its duties of cooperation and good faith in three of the four confirmed alleged breaches, obstructing the League's process.
Club reaction
Manchester City responded with an official statement expressing its disappointment and surprise. According to the statement, the club considers itself innocent of all accusations and says it has a “complete corpus of irrefutable evidence”. It added that it will appeal, believing the ruling contains material, legal, principle and factual errors.
Premier League finds Manchester City guilty of infractions
The communiqué also emphasized that the club has diligently respected the process for eight years and will continue to act proactively in all relevant regulatory and legal bodies.
Jon Super and Fernando Gabarró, journalists covering the case, noted that the scandal continues to generate new revelations and that the Premier's decision is the most significant in the competition's history.
The Premier League, through Masters, reiterated its commitment to ensuring the competition's integrity, protecting fans, and ensuring that the rules approved by the clubs are enforced independently and without external influence.
Premier League reveals Manchester City hid billions in costs
With the appeal window open until October 2, Manchester City's future in the Premier League and its potential historic sanction remain at the heart of football debate.